Rachel's Choice
by Angelface856
Summary: Joey tells ross.... now all thats left is to tell rachel... duz rachel wanna try and make things work with ross? or say the hell with it and go with joey? chapter 2&3 r up!!read on.....
1. Joey tells Ross

Rachel's Choice  
You guys all know I don't own friends and im not tryin to take credit. I did invent Brett though. R&R! If it's bad please be nice!  
  
  
Scenario: the gang is all just chilling at Central Perk.  
  
  
"You been thinking about names yet Rach?" Chandler asked as he sat down with his coffee.   
"For my little baby girl? Ya I've been thinking. None really scream "Rachel's baby" though. I want something really good. And I hate my family so I'm not naming it after them." Rachel said taking a sip of her juice ad flipping through a magazine. "I mean names like Kelly and Sarah and Katie…" She said pointing to a picture of Katie Holmes I the magazine. "…they are all nice. But choosing the name of another human being is something you only get to do a few times in your life. You have to make it count."  
"I no! Saadiya! It's Arabic and it means good fortune and lets face it… any kid born to one of us is gonna need lots of that." Pheobe said looking through the baby name book. Joey, Ross, Chandler, Monica and Rachel all looked at her like she was crazy. Pheobe noticed. She started flipping the pages. "Okay, so Saadiya is out." She said reluctantly. Ross stood up then and put his coat on.  
"I better go guys. I'm teaching a class in an hour and I have to pick Ben up from Carol's."  
"Oh I'll pick up Ben. I mean after all I am 'Fun Aunt Rachel'. I'll bring him back to our place and Mon and I will watch him until you get back. Want to Monica?" Rach said looking at Monica.   
"I'm in. Bye guys!" Monica said getting her coat. Monica, Rachel and Ross left leaving Pheobe, Joey and Chandler.   
"Alright now that they are gone what are you going to do about Rachel? You can't just keep going on like this. You need to tell her or move on." Pheobe said with more seriousness in her voice than she usually had.   
"I don't know what to do! Has your one true love ever been carrying your best friend's baby? She needs to focus on the baby not me." Joey said sadly. "Plus Ross… it's obvious he never got over her, and Ross is one of my BEST friends! Why did I have to take her on that pretend date?"  
"Um Joe? I don't think Ross cares about her as much as you do. I don't think her parents care about her as much as you do. Talk to Ross. I'm sure he wouldn't get mad. I mean Ross is pretty easy going. And your one of his best friends too. If Ross wanted to date your ex who also happens to be the mother of your child you wouldn't mind right?" Chandler said without cracking one joke or making fun of anyone. Just being genuinely nice to Joey.  
"I don't know… what if I open up to him and he gets all mad… I mean, no girl, not even the hottest porn star, is worth the friendship we have."  
"That is true. But what if Rachel is 'the one' and Ross doesn't mind? Not everyone finds his or her one true love. I mean look at Ross. He is less than 35 and has already been divorced 3 times. I mean sure none of them were exactly his fault but he has married three women." Pheobe said.   
"Fine. I will talk to Ross… tonight. Right now, I need to think… alone. Sorry guys." Joey stood up. He grabbed his coat and started walking out of the Central Perk. He heard Pheobe call 'good luck!' and Chandler say 'you are doing the right thing my man'. He was really glad he at least had their support. Monica was Ross's sister and Rachel's best friend. They went to the prom in the same limo, Rachel was her maid of honor, they were roommates for years, and they'd known each other since junior high or maybe sooner. Sometimes he thought they were closer then Pheobe and Rachel. Or at least Monica and Pheobe. Monica would undoubtedly tell one of them. He knew Ross and Chandler were roommates in college and him and Monica were married but he didn't think he'd tell. And Pheobe had nothing with Ross and was Rachel's roommate at one point but he thought she'd know better.  
He stepped out onto the rainy sidewalk. He was walking with his head down not paying attention to anything. Just thinking. All of a sudden he heard someone frantically screaming his name.   
"Joey! Joey! This pregnancy thing has got me all messed up. I left Ben with Monica to get some milk and I can't find my way back. I thought I was going home but I wound up at Central Perk then I saw you walk out." Rachel said in hysterics. She ran up to him and hugged him. Joey hugged her tightly while the rain beat down on them hardly. "Did your sisters ever lose their way in New York?" Rachel said breaking Joey's wonderful feeling. He let her go but held onto her arms.  
"Only one. But it was in the house. She lost her way back from the bathroom and slept outside by the mailbox." Joey said. Smiling partly at the memory but mostly at that Rachel was so happy to see him and she felt safe there with him. Suddenly he realized he needed to talk to Ross. Then and now.   
"Rach I'll take you back to Mon's." He hailed her a cab and told the driver were to go. As much as he didn't want to leave her he was afraid this fearlessness to talk to Ross wouldn't last. He watched the cab leave until he couldn't see it anymore. He ran to Ross's college were he taught a class. He ran in, asked were Professor Gellar was teaching and the head director person, Brett, told him were and gave him a map. Joey ran through the halls and stopped at room 203… Ross's classroom. He took a deep breath and opened the door quietly and sat in back waiting for the class to be over. He went over in his head what to say and how to say it. Finally a bell rang. Ross was cleaning the board and his desk while the kids filed onto their next class. Joey waited until the last one was out the door before leaving his desk.   
"Ross? I need to tell you something," Joey said with his head down once he reached Ross's desk.   
"Sure Joe. Whatsup?" Ross put down the spray can and sat at his desk.   
"Ross… I… Well see… if you don't want me too I wont… she was yours first its just…" Joey mumbled.  
"Joey just spit it out. In English." Ross said taking a sip of his Evian.   
Joey sighed. "I needed to borrow your hammer can I?" Joey said.  
"Sure Joe. No big deal. In fact, I'll bring it to your place right now." Ross said and smiled. He got up and started walking toward the door. He turned the knob…  
"Ross, I love Rachel." Joey said his heart pounding out of his chest.  
  
  
Well that was chapter one! See Ross's reaction next chapter. I hope you liked it! 


	2. All that's left is Rachel

Chapter 2…  
  
Ross just stood there. With his back facing Joey. He turned around once he could muster the stamina.   
"Joey… Joey Tribiani, man of a 1000 women has to pick his dorky BEST friend Ross's ONE true love. Why Joe!?" Ross said sounding more angry with every word. Joey breathed in and feltreally bad, but yet relieved that Ross knew.   
"Ross… I'm sorry. I love her. I'd give up all my 1000 girls and one night stands and parties and everything just for Rachel. You wanted her first and you're my best friend so if you still do I'll step out of the way. If you think she's worth more to you, I will step out of the way and let you keep working towards her. We have a code." Joey said sadly. He looked up at Ross with pleading eyes. Ross could tell this was more than the harmless crushes Joey had had on random coffee shop girls or the girls he'd slept with and never called the next day. But still… Rachel was carrying his child. They'd been married. They'd gone out for two whole years. How could he let that all go?  
"Joey… you know if it was ANY other girl but Rachel… my ex wife, the mother of my child… you know I'd step right out of the way and give you my blessing. But it's Rachel Joe!" Ross said sadly. Even though he knew that him and Rachel would never be. He had to accept that.  
"Okay Ross. I respect that." Joey said fighting back tears and he ran out of the room and down the hallway and out of the campus. He hailed a cab because he didn't trust himself walking anywhere. He considered going to Central Perk, but there was a chance of seeing Rachel and he didn't want her to ask what happened. He had to go to a place no one would be.   
"Were to sir?" The cab driver asked a couple minutes later.  
"Umm… how about… Central Park." Joey said. Central Park was big enough and the woods would be comforting. He realized he didn't have any money but the driver could tell that he was upset so he let it slide.   
Joey sat on the bench for a long time just thinking about how life with Rachel would have been. He wasn't mad at Ross. Just… sad at life. He went back to his apartment after a couple hours and found Ross there…  
  
Back at the college right after Joey left…  
  
"Oh no what have I done. Joey deserves her. I had my chance. I can't do this to him." Ross ran out after him and watched him abstently get into a cab. He had no idea were he was going so he just sat at his apartment for a couple hours and waited for him. Joey walked in looking sleepy and distorted.  
"Go get her Joey." Ross said. He smiled.  
"Really?! Thank you so much Ross!" Joey ran over and hugged him. "Now get out of here before I change my mind." Ross said before taking a sip of his beer.   
Joey ran out of the apartment and into Monica and Chandler's. No one was there so he ran to Central Perk. Rachel was the only one there. She was reading a magazine. He just looked at her. He thought she looked so beautiful even with the bulging stomach wich only made him think of Ross.  
"Rachel, I have to tell you something." Joey said sitting down and taking her hand. He gazed into her eyes.  
"Sure Joe, what's up?" She said brushing her hair away from her face.  
"I love you Rachel" Joey said…  
  
find out her reaction in chapter 3!! I no its short and kinda rushed but I wanted to get it finished b4 tomorrow night and NBC airs the episode. Tell me if its good or bad please! 


	3. Rachel: Joey or no joey?

Rachel just stared Joey. She couldn't decide wether or not she had heard him just say that he loved her. "Joey? I… I don't know what to say." She said after a couple of minutes of just looking into his eyes. "I love you I really do… but… Joey…"  
"No it's fine Rach. I didn't ask you to love me too I just wanted you to know." Joey said fighting back tears. "I should leave now." He grabbed his coat and fled out of Central Perk faster then when Ross said the porn store had a buy one get one free sale.   
"No Joey don't!" Rachel said but it was no use. He was gone. She said it again to herself. Joey is gone. She put her head in her hands and cried. She couldn't lose Joey. If they went out and broke up, she's lose the wonderful friendship they had now. She sighed. She could tell the wonderful friendship they had now (or at least that they had 10 minutes ago before Joey told her) would be very different. "I need comforting." She grabbed her purse and went to Monica's.   
"Chandler! No! you don't clean the table like that! You take the sponge and do it in smooth circular motions in the pattern of the wood! See? No streaks." Rachel could hear Monica yelling as she approached the appartment's door. She had her hand on the doorknob but she decided now wasn't exactly the perfect time. She turned around and headed to Ross and her apartment.   
"Ross! Are you home?" Rachel called as she walked in. she really wished he was. Another reason she could never go out with Joey is because she was carrying his best friends child. How awkward would that be for both the kid and Joey and Ross?  
"Ya I'm here. Have you talked to Joey yet?" He said with a congratulating smile as he walked into the room. He saw her tearstreaked face and she was biting her lip to keep from crying again. "Oh, I guess you have." He said sadly and put his drink down and held out his arms for a hug.  
"Ross, I can't go out with Joey. I don't want to lose our friendship! You shouldn't go out if you have a friendship you can't afford to lose…" Rachel trailed off as she cried in Ross's arms. Ross sat her on the couch and pulled her away and held her arms and looked at her.   
"Rach, you and Joey are such good friends nothing short of death could make you enemies. I mean look at you and I. We went out and I cheated on you. Even if we were on a break. And now were living together. If we can still be friends after that then there's hope for anyone." Ross said calmly. Rachel looked at him and realized everything he was saying was 100% true. "Plus look at Monica and Chandler. What would have happened if they said that their friendship was more important?" Well that was all she needed. She grabbed her coat and purse.  
"I have to find Joey." Rachel said and ran out of the room. Ross watched her leave and was happy for both of them. He accepted that his chance was over. And him and Rachel would never be. It was a good feeling that really put life in perspective…  
Rachel ran all over New York City looking for Joey. She found him in Central Perk looking pathetic sitting alone with his head in his hands on the orange coach. It was rainging out so she was all wet but she didn't care she ran over to him picked up his head and started kissing him passiontely…  
  
Well that's chapter three! No I don't own friends and blah. Please review!!! I did this after they aired it on friends but this is what I wished had happened. 


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